The NCAA's Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics have selected the 2001-02 NCAA Fellows. This year's class is composed of three men and four women, all with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Members of the 2001-02 NCAA Fellows class are: Corrinne Wright, assistant director of athletics compliance, Syracuse University; Ralph "Christopher" Reynolds, assistant athletics director, University of Notre Dame; Gloria Nevarez, assistant athletics director/compliance, University of California, Berkeley; James Wyatt, assistant commissioner for compliance, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference; John Robinson Jr., associate athletics director, Villanova University; Gwen Lexow, head softball coach, Bates College; and Faith Shearer, associate director of athletics/senior woman administrator, Johns Hopkins University.

The Fellows Leadership Development Program began in 1994. Modeled after the American Council on Education Fellows Program, the NCAA Fellows Program was developed with the specific goal of enhancing the employment and leadership opportunities for ethnic minorities and women at the senior management level of intercollegiate athletics administration.

The purpose of the 18-month program is to identify minorities and women who aspire to hold positions such as athletics directors and conference commissioners and to involve them in various senior-management-level administrative experiences in intercollegiate athletics.

The program provides academic and practical work experiences that enable individuals to develop their talents and abilities and to mesh those skills with their aspirations. The program is designed to foster leadership within intercollegiate athletics and to highlight the relationship between the athletics and academic communities.

Applications are available in late summer during even years; Fellows are selected in the fall of even years.

Following are biographical sketches of the 2001-02 NCAA Fellows:

Corrinne Wright
Assistant director of athletics compliance
Syracuse University

Wright graduated from the University of Georgia in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in social work. A member of Georgia's gymnastics team, she was a nine-time all-American and a national champion in the NCAA all-around and floor exercise. She also has been inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.

After graduating from Georgia, Wright entered the New York Law School to obtain experience in contracts and prepare for a career as a sports agent. She eventually determined that her talents and convictions would best be served while working with athletes through education. Athletics compliance gave Wright a platform to speak with student-athletes on collegiate issues such as NCAA rules and regulations and professional issues such as contracts and agents.

"One of my goals as an NCAA Fellow is to come away from the program with the knowledge that every experience shared and learned will be a life lesson," Wright said.

Ralph "Christopher" Reynolds
Assistant athletics director
University of Notre Dame

Reynolds received his bachelor's degree in Afro-American studies and criminal justice from Indiana University, Bloomington, in 1993, and he obtained his juris doctorate from Indiana in 1996. Reynolds was a member of Indiana's men's basketball team, including the 1992 Final Four team. He also was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Reynolds' work with the SAAC sparked his interest in intercollegiate athletics administration. As a SAAC member, he had his first opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue with high-ranking athletics administrators about issues that affected student-athletes. His experiences with the SAAC were rewarding and helped heighten his awareness of student-athletes' needs and the approaches athletics administrators use to address a broad range of issues.

Reynolds has continued to address the needs of student-athletes through the positions he has held since graduating from Indiana. In addition to having a heavy athletics compliance background, he also has taught on the collegiate level and served as a facilitator/trainer for the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference.

Reynolds said, "The Fellows Program will provide an excellent opportunity to gain the experience needed to become a senior-level administrator while working to make a positive difference in the lives of young people."

Gloria Nevarez
Assistant athletics director/compliance
University of California, Berkeley

Nevarez graduated from University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in sports management. She later obtained her juris doctorate from the University of California's Boalt Hall School of Law in 1997. While in college, she was active in athletics and campus organizations, playing varsity basketball at Massachusetts and serving as co-president of the Boalt Hall Sports and Entertainment Law Society.

Upon graduation from law school, Nevarez knew she wanted to pursue a career in intercollegiate athletics. She began her career at San Jose State University as the first full-time compliance director. With the help of San Jose State's faculty athletics representative, she created, implemented and maintained San Jose State's first comprehensive compliance program.

Although Nevarez has developed an expertise in the area of NCAA compliance, she has learned that advancement in intercollegiate athletics requires experience in a wide variety of areas. She believes the NCAA Fellows Program will enable her to "gain the experience and résumé value that is essential to becoming a well-rounded athletics administrator."

James Wyatt
Assistant commissioner for compliance
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

Wyatt received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in 1982. He obtained a master's degree in sports coaching/administration from the United States Sports Academy in 1987. A former college basketball student-athlete, he also has coached men's basketball and cross country on the collegiate level.

Aside from coaching, Wyatt has held positions of direct responsibility in a variety of areas within intercollegiate athletics, including assistant director of athletics for compliance, assistant facilities/equipment supervisor and MEAC basketball tournament manager. He also has served on numerous committees pertaining to intercollegiate athletics, including the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Waivers Committee.

Wyatt said he plans to use the NCAA Fellows Program as an avenue to "gain valuable hands-on experience in the areas that I haven't been actively involved with on a day-to-day basis." His ultimate goal as an NCAA Fellow is to become director of athletics at a Division I institution or a conference commissioner.

John Robinson Jr.
Associate athletics director
Villanova University

Robinson graduated from Columbia University in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in economics. He received his juris doctorate from Tulane University Law School in 1993, and he currently is pursuing a master's degree in business administration from Villanova. A former football student-athlete, his athletics achievements include playing in two postseason bowl games.

After obtaining his law degree, Robinson taught English in Mexico for a short period of time and returned to the United States to work as a bilingual teacher before starting his career as an attorney. He was an attorney for five years before he realized his interest in intercollegiate athletics administration. He stopped practicing law and accepted an internship with Villanova's athletics department. The internship gave him the practical experience that he needed to advance his career in intercollegiate athletics and helped prepare him for his current position as associate athletics director.

"I believe the NCAA Fellows Program will accelerate my preparation for a position as an athletics director and increase my understanding of the Association's roles and functions in the administration of intercollegiate athletics," Robinson said. "As an NCAA Fellow, I will have the opportunity to receive training in areas that are currently outside my scope of responsibility, which would take years to experience without the program."

Gwen Lexow
Head softball coach
Bates College

Lexow received her bachelor's degree in history from Knox College in 1990 and obtained her master's degree in history and her Ph.D. in history of American civilization from Harvard University in 1992 and 1998, respectively. During college, she played varsity softball and basketball and served as captain for both teams. She was a three-time all-Midwest Conference selection and a National Softball Coaches Association academic choice.

Lexow's participation in athletics continued after graduation. She has coached women's soccer, basketball and softball on the collegiate level and club level. In 1998, she founded First Assistant Solutions, a computer consulting firm that specializes in the creation of end-user solutions for athletics and academic administration.

Her goal is to become an athletics director, and she believes that the NCAA Fellows Program will prepare her for this position by developing her talents and addressing her weaknesses in athletics administration. "Ultimately," she said, "the program will bring me a giant step closer to achieving my personal and career goals."

Faith Shearer
Associate director of athletics/ senior woman administrator
Johns Hopkins University

Shearer graduated from Smith College in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in economics. She currently is pursuing her master's degree in organizational development and human resources at Johns Hopkins. While at Smith, she was captain of the volleyball team and a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Shearer decided to pursue a career in intercollegiate athletics administration after playing volleyball in college. She gained entry into the field as an NCAA national office intern and was able to develop a strong professional network. After the internship, she continued to advance in the field, serving as assistant athletics director at several institutions, including Johns Hopkins.

"The series of career moves I have made and my varied experiences have put me solidly on the path to achieving my ultimate long-term goal of becoming an athletics director," Shearer said. "The NCAA Fellows Program will provide me with several of the learning opportunities I need to move forward in my career."